Bells
by Bonbons Meow
Summary: "Name her Rin." As princesses, Lily and Rin were supposed to live happily, right? But their father had a different plan for them. Sent to the enemy kingdom as spies, will the two sisters survive and be honoured, or will they meet their death? Is there even an happy ending for them?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any vocaloid characters.**

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**Prologue**

"No, SeeU, don't leave me!" Cried the man who was kneeling by the sickly woman. "Please…" He whimpered. Tears were flooding down his cheeks, wetting the bed cloth. He clutched the woman's hand so tightly, that it seemed he would never be able to let go.

The woman returned the pressure, but only slightly. She was too weak to even utter a word. Her face was as pale as sheet, making her seem ghostly. She struggled to make her lips form a smile at the man she loved. _Goodbye… _She mouthed. And she let go.

"Nooooo! SeeU, please, don't leave me…" The man wailed, unable to believe that his beloved's life had ended. His body trembled uncontrollably, as though he was bearing the weight of thousands of mountains crashing down on him. The woman's lifeless eyes stared at him blankly, reminding him that she was, indeed, gone.

The frightened maid, who was standing by the doorway to give the couple some privacy, peeked into the room. "Y…Your Majesty…" The man stiffened. He clenched his fists.

"The Queen is dead."

His voice was strangely calm, but it sent a cold shiver down the maid's spine. It was as though he was dead.

The maid scurried away, her footsteps resounding in the empty and lonely hallway. Within moments, sounds of grieving and wailing could be heard in the castle. The castle's glorious self seemed to be draped over with a black blanket; everything seemed gloomy and depressing.

The beloved Queen was dead. Tears fell like rain.

"King SeeWoo? Y…your majesty?" A short man stammered. SeeWoo eyes were like ice. Ice that could not ever be melted. The man flinched. In the tense silence, he could almost hear his heart pounding. "W…What are you going to do with the two princesses?"

"Princesses?" SeeWoo repeated incredulously. The man nodded silently.

"They are just reminders of my passed wife. Get a nurse for that newborn and a tutor for Lily. Let them live in the west wing. I will only see them when necessary." The King replied curtly. "After you have finished with your task, bring our little friend over. Gakupo's his name, isn't it? Yes. He is like the son I never had."

"Yes, your majesty." The man hesitated before adding, "What are you going to name the younger…Princess?"

The church bell rang to announce the death of the Queen SeeU. SeeWoo started walking away without a word. Then, he abruptly halted in his path, "Name her Rin."

The bells continued ringing, mourning. SeeWoo frowned slightly.


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any vocaloid characters. If I did, I wouldn't let Rin bully Len so much...**

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**Chapter 1**

"Rin." The blonde girl turned at the sound of her older sister's voice. Lily was briskly walking towards her, with a jewel-encrusted sword in hand and clad in an elaborate gown.

"Yes, sister?" Rin replied just as emotionlessly. As royals, they had been taught to control their emotions. All their smiles in public had been fake. In front of lowly commoners, they were supposed to put up a cold and authorial façade, and those of higher class were to be greeted with a polite nod. Yes, everything about the royals was fake.

Lily's lips turned into a tiny line, "Father wants to see us in the throne room. It is important."

Rin groaned internally, but, of course, her small face was as impassive as always. Apparently, controlling your emotions could also make you look younger. But, of course, that might have just been the lady-in-waiting's feeble attempt to comfort the young Princess.

"I will be there shortly." She said in a tight voice. Satisfied with her answer, Lily turned back and made her way out of the training area. Rin raised a hand to swipe a drop of sweat from her forehead. She was not sure whether her sweat was from her earlier training or from hearing the news that her father had requested, no, demanded to see her.

In Cykalia, every healthy citizen was required to train for battle. Being a small kingdom constantly under the threat of being attacked, every warrior was precious. The handicapped and unhealthy ones were looked down upon and deemed useless. It was important for royals to be great warriors. They were the ones that need to lead their people to honor and glory. They were to carry a sword with them no matter what occasion. Rin had undergone extensive training since a very young age and was now a skilled fighter and assassin. Of course, as a Princess, and more importantly, a female, she also had to master the skills of embroidering and excel in her studies.

Rin troughed up to her bedchamber in the west wing. The word "plain" is all anyone would need to describe her bedroom. Normally, people would think that all the princesses have pink, girlish bedrooms with cute dolls sitting neatly on the shelves and a large dressing table complete with a huge wardrobe with beautiful and breathtaking clothes. Contrary to that common belief, Rin's bedchamber was light yellow, yes, her bed was big and comfortable, but her clothes…well, let's just say that her father never really cared about her. Oh, and she only had one maid.

Rin hastily changed into one of her more presentable dresses. She glanced at the row of swords by her bed. They were nothing like her sister's, no pretty jewels and only rusted blades. She decided to change her training sword to her favorite one, the one with a blue tinge to the handle that matched her sapphire eyes. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. A small figured girl around 17 stared back at her. Her blond hair was tied into a simple ponytail, in convenience to her training.

She remembered that she had once cut her hair to shoulder length and place a large white bow on her head. She was being proud of herself when her father suddenly showed up and scolded her severely for "inappropriate behavior". From then on, she never glanced twice at cute stuff.

"Rin, my daughter." Her father said haughtily the moment she walked into the throne room.

"Yes, Father?" Rin forced herself to bow low at his feet. Her father smirked.

King SeeWoo's gaze flickered onto his older daughter, who was already standing by his side. "My children, stand in front of me. I have a important mission for both of you."

Rin stood up silently as Lily went to stand beside her. She had a bad feeling about this mission her father was talking about.

"Now, you both know that Azaria is becoming more powerful. I don't like to say this, but Azaria has a lot of manpower and it's king, Len, is not stupid or dumb. I want you to sneak into Azaria and spy for me."

Rin stifled a gasp. Spy? It probably would have been easier to just jump off the highest tower of the palace, or walk over a thousand crocodiles. She sneaked a peek at Lily, and noticed that her face had gone pale. As much as Rin wanted to live (she was sure that she was going to die), she dare not go against her father.

Smiling smugly at the two, SeeWoo elaborated on the mission, "You will try as hard as you can to get into their palace. Be prepared for your journey. You will be alone once you enter Azaria."

"F…father, what happens if we…die?" Lily asked carefully.

SeeWoo laughed humorously, "Die? Then you will be honored by your people for our service to the country. You will set on your journey tomorrow."

Lily and Rin nodded silently. They were worried that if they open their mouth, they would puke. _What kind of father is he, to send his children as spies into an enemy kingdom, to send them to their death? _Rin took a deep breath, trying to calm herself and not act impulsively.

SeeWoo stood up and dismissed the two. However, before Rin could escape, he commented, "Rin, fix your hair. You don't need to look even more like a commoner."

Rin bit her lips. Those comments used to break her heart and bring tears to her eyes, but now, her tears had already dried. Criticisms from her father had become everyday life. When she was young, she had idolized SeeWoo, but she never seemed to impress him.

"_What's wrong, young miss?" The maid asked the little Princess_ _softly._

"_Why doesn't Father like me?" Rin cried tearfully, her lips trembling._

_The maid didn't know how to answer. She hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Princess Rin…um…let me tell you. Have you ever seen portraits of your mother?"_

_Rin, curious, shook her head with her bright eyes wide._

_The maid continued, "Well, his majesty loved the Queen so much that he would do anything for her. When Princess Lily was born, they were both elated, as they had wanted a baby girl. Then, to continue the line of royals, they decided that they should have a boy. But young miss was born instead, and the Queen died of childbirth. The King was very sad and he…blames you for Queen SeeU's death and his lack of son."_

_Rin was stunned. So that's why… Rin's dreams of being loved and cared for were suddenly shattered in to a million pieces. _

"_Please don't tell anyone that I told you this! I'll be punished for sure!" The maid gasped_

_Rin nodded mutely, knowing her father's cruel methods of punishment._

From then on, Rin did her best to stay out of her father's clutches, preferring to remain on her own.

The next day, when the two (near-death) princesses reached the throne room, all ready (physically, not mentally) to go, they found their father talking to a purple haired man.

"Your Highnesses." Gakupo bowed. The two acknowledged him.

King SeeWoo smirked, "Good, you are here. I was wondering if you have enough guts to come." His gaze pierced through Rin, but Rin kept her head high, unflinching. "I was just discussing some political matters with Gakupo. Since you will be out of country, Lily, I will need Gakupo to fill in for you."

Rin almost snorted at her father's choice of words. _"you will be out of country", sounds as if we are going on a relaxing holiday. _Rin knew that her father had always liked Gakupo better then Lily and her. Now was the perfect chance to get rid of them. If they don't survive, he would definitely name Gakupo as his successor. Gakupo was the son of SeeWoo's former advisor. Rin didn't like him, not because he was favored by her father, but because he tended to stare at Lily weirdly. As distant as the two sisters may be, they still cared for each other.

"Ready? Now off you go. Just make sure you don't give the enemy and information about Cykalia! Or else…" King SeeWoo lead them to the gates and sent them off, with insufficient supplies and a threat hanging in the air.


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any vocaloid ****characters.**

**I'm SOOOOO sorry for the late update. There's too much homework and other stuff. I have no idea how nekopyon manages it...and no, you are not awesome, nekopyon.  
**

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**Chapter 2**

There was a forest at the border of Azaria and Cykalia, separating the two countries. Which means that Rin and Lily would have to pass through that to reach their destination. The forest isn't what you would call "dangerous", but some of the trails were extremely hard to get through.

"I don't understand Father." Lily was frowning slightly.

Rin resisted the urge to roll her eyes, "Which part about him don't you understand? Why he sent us on this trip?" She trudged through a muddy puddle, not caring about the splashes of dirty water across the rim of her skirt. To make them seem more "normal", the King ordered them to wear long skirts and dresses like the common folks. He didn't even allow them to bring a horse. It was nearly impossible to walk through brambles and not get stuck.

Lily looked at her disapprovingly, "Rin, can't you act more like a princess?"

Rin snorted in an unladylike manner, "Oh, please. We both know that I'm just a good for nothing girl with an ugly who is the cause of her mother's death! And my Father hates me." She added sourly.

Lily fell silent. She wanted to deny what her sister had just said, but it was true. Their father had always favored her, the older one, and the one that did not remind him of his wife. Everyone in the court knew that the King detested the younger Princess, but no one ever dared to speak of it in fear of the King's cruel methods of punishment. Yes, the King was cruel and spiteful.

"Where are we, by the way?" Rin hastily changed the topic. Although she had already perfected her cold façade, it was still a sensitive topic that she would rather not mention.

Lily dug out an ancient compass and a torn map. "We should be quite near already."

Silence ensued.

A twig snapped.

The two galvanized into action, each springing to a tree and held still, their miniature knives ready at hand. Rin held her breath. _What is it? A beast? Or a human? _She pressed her back to the gnarled tree trunk, feeling its rough bark rub against the fabric of her blouse.

"Did you see someone over there just now?" Rin heard a male voice.

"No? I don't think so." Another male voice. Judging from the sounds, Rin decided that there were two horses, with one rider each. She chanced a peek at the duo and quickly jerked her head back. _They were carrying swords. Seems to be of good quality. Are they soldiers?_

"How do you think Mikuo is coping? With the ball and all." The first male asked. _Ball? Are they royals? Mikuo… Isn't he the Prince of Azaria?_

"He's probably trying to threatening to jump off the tower again. Isn't that what he did last year when too many maidens went up to him?" The second male replied, his laughter ringing through the trees. Rin suddenly felt a pang of jealousy and longing. It had been a long time since she had someone laugh that care freely. In the court of Cykalia, there is no laughter. It was not that SeeWoo forbid anyone to laugh, but there was simply no reason to laugh. The only thing close to laughter was chuckles of mocking.

Just then, Rin heard rustling from somewhere near her and saw a tuff of white disappear behind a tree. _Shit, that stupid rabbit!_

"Who's there?" The first male demanded cautiously. He brushed the leaves aside with his sword and spotted Rin, who quickly hid her knife in the strap on her leg, which was covered by the inconvenient but useful long skirt.

"Please don't hurt us!" Lily's voice sounded shrill and meek. _She must have noticed that I was discovered._ Rin, following Lily's example, went down on her knees and begged for mercy, "Don't hurt us! We are just travellers!" Rin hated how weak she sounded.

The male slowly lowered his sword, his eyes still alert. He had green eyes and green hair with bangs, his uniform making him look exceptionally handsome. "What's your name?" His tone was still demanding, but it had softened a lot.

"Rin Kagamine." Rin decided that it was safe to let out her real name as Cykalia rarely announced any big events to nearby Kingdoms, so he probably didn't even know that SeeWoo had any children (or even had a wife). The green haired man gestured towards his companion, who led Lily over. He had silver hair tied into a small ponytail, his unusual red eyes standing out under the shade of the trees.

"I…I'm Lily. We are sisters and we are travelling from a small village at the edge of Cykalia." Lily stuttered. _It's really weird to hear her, the all mighty Princess of Cykalia to stammer in front of two guys, _Rin mused. She noticed how there was a pink tinge on Lily's cheeks as she stole a glance at that silver-haired guy.

The two men seemed to have believed them. "Hi, my name is Gumo." The greenhead introduced. "And I'm Dell. Nice to meet you." The other guy added with a small smile at the blushing Lily. _Oh great! What do they call that? Love at first sight? This is going to get complicated… _Rin groaned internally.

"We are the Prince's personal guards. We were heading back to attend his ball." Gumo farther explained. "What about you?" _At least he seemed friendly…_

Rin forced a smile on her face, "Oh, we are just plain peasants. We're trying to earn a livelihood, you know, since our parents left early."

Dell eyes filled with sympathy, "Why don't you come with us? Do you know how to sew well?"

The two nodded their heads mutely, their hopes building up.

Dell grinned, "Gumo's mother owns a seamstress shop, she could do with more help."

"We would love to work there!" Lily gasped breathlessly. _Either she's an extremely good actor or she is lovesick… _Rin thought dismally.

"Come on then!" Gumo chuckled at Lily's eagerness. He seemed to have also noticed that his best friend and Lily were quite taken with each other. Rin bit her lips. _Well, I guess I'll just have to pray that this Gumo guy doesn't start being the matchmaker!_

The knights led the maidens to the edge of the forest. The trees there were unfamiliar and were of so many shades of green. Flowers were everywhere, blooming even at the most unexpected places, giving the place a welcoming sense.

Such a sight would never have been present in Cykalia. Or at least, until SeeWoo was happy again, which was nearly impossible. It was said the Kingdom had been full of life and laughter, but it all ended when the beloved Queen left the King. SeeWoo was always too busy keeping the kingdom safe from nearby kingdoms to bother about those stuff.

There were three kingdoms on the known map, with some small wild islands here and there. The third Kingdom was called Vicasia. It was not exactly a kingdom. It was filled with robs, bandits and a dark society, including a corrupted government. Rumor was that the citizens lived in constant fear, terrified of being robbed or even killed by the ruthless bandits. "There is no need to fear them," SeeWoo had said. "Even if they manage to conjure up an army, it would all be a random combination of people with no training."

The four arrived at the outskirt of a village.

"This is the nearest village to the castle," Dell explained, surprising both Rin and Lily. _Who would have known the Azarian royals live so near to the border? SeeWoo probably does, but does he bother to tell us? NO. Why didn't he just attack the castle, though? Oh._

Rin suddenly noticed the rows of guards and soldiers wearing armors standing around the village. Their armors were of royal yellow, which gave them a sense of not danger, but protectiveness. There was a low stone hedge that marked the border of the village and the forest. What surprised her the most was that the guards standing nearest to the gap in the hedge actually smiled warmly at them as they passed.

"Greetings, my royal knights." One of the guards raised his hand politely.

"Hello, Kaito."Gumo nodded with a smile and Dell clapped Kaito on the back.

"What's up, buddy?" Dell beamed.

Kaito laughed, "Nothing, really. Life is as normal and peaceful as possible, and I like it that way. Who are these two beautiful ladies?"

Dell grinned, "Oh, these are just girls we found in the forest. We decided to employ them for Gumo's mom."

"Well, I won't keep you guys!" Kaito waved them off.

"Let's go. My mother's shop isn't too far from here." Gumo took the lead.

They strolled down a lane full of shops and merchants. If Rin hadn't learnt never to show any emotions, she would have squealed in delight at the numerous dresses that are glamorous and gleaming.

"Here we are!" Dell exclaimed. They stood in front of a brightly colored building. It made Rin feel warm, as though she was bathed with sunlight. Before they could step forward, the door burst open with a "bang".

"Gumo! You are finally home!"

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**Thank you for the reviews!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hi people!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own V****ocaloid, as you all know... And nekopyon, stop leaning on me, I'm not homo. (nekopyon:*leans some more*) Arhhhhh! My shoulderrrrrr! (Please review! Meow!)**

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Chapter 3

"Gumo! You are finally home!"

A figure flew out of the door and crashed on to Gumo. Gumo laughed, swinging the person around and throwing her in the air teasingly. Rin noticed that the person was a girl of about the same age as her. The girl threw her arms around Gumo's neck and squeezed him tight. Her hair was also green, but of a lighter shade. Her sparkling dress seemed expensive.

"Gumi, I can't breathe!" Gumo gasped jokingly. Gumi giggled and kissed his cheek, blushing even redder than a ripe apple.

"I see you've charmed my sister once again." Someone commented from the doorway. He had short teal hair and his emerald eyes were…dazzling. Rin couldn't help but stare at the handsome face. _No, look away, Rin. What are you doing?! Wait, why is he also staring at me? _Rin forced herself to look away, her face tinged with pink.

"Ah, Mikuo. Please forgive your knight for stealing your sister from you." Gumo smiled cheekily. _That is Mikuo? So this girl must be the princess. _Rin clenched her teeth. She never thought that she would meet the Azarian royals this way. _Maybe I could kill them and just get over with it, but it wouldn't do any good. There are too many skilled warriors here. Gumo, Dell and most probably Mikuo too. I won't be able to get away either._

Mikuo glanced at Rin and Lily with his brows creased. "May I have the pleasure of knowing who these two maidens are?"

"Oh, this is Rin Kagamine," Gumo introduced, placing an arm around Gumi's waist and gestured towards Rin with his other hand. "And this—"

"Is Lily." Dell cut in.

Mikuo seemed amused, "I see you are very eager, Dell."

Dell and Lily blushed. They glanced at each other at the same time and turned away quickly, blushing even harder. It's not everyday that you saw Lily becoming a tomato.

Gumo chuckled and said, "We are employing them for my mom. They were trying to find a job."

"Woo! New seamstresses for me? Good job, son." A middle-aged woman came into view. She was wearing a fashionable dress that seemed just right for her. Rin could tell that she had a good sense of fashion. The woman came to a stop in front of Rin and Lily. She scrutinized the two. Her eyes seemed calculating and Rin didn't like the feeling of being stared at.

"You have great potential to become beautiful ladies if I give you some make over… Maybe you should attend the ball too." Gumo's mother ended off with a wink at Mikuo.

"What? No!" Mikuo exclaimed, losing his cool.

Everyone except Lily and Rin laughed at his dramatic reaction.

Seeing their confused reaction, Gumo's mother explained, "Here in Azaria, we have a tradition that on the Prince's 17th birthday, the King will hold a ball and invite all the maidens in the country. The girls will go through rounds of inspection. First, at the ball, the Prince must meet all the girls. If he smiles at a girl or even better, asks her to dance, she will have a greater chance of going to the second round. After the ball, the Prince will pick out around 5 girls to invite to the castle for 2 weeks and in the end, he will choose his wife. If he likes a girl but doesn't think she's suitable to be a future Queen, he can make her his mistress."

"That sounds a bit agonizing for the girls…" Rin muttered under her breathe, but unfortunately, Mikuo caught it.

"It's agonizing for me too! And not a bit, it's A LOT!" He shrieked. Dell stifled his laughter behind his hand and Gumi giggled madly at her brother.

Gumo's mother scolded, "For heavens sake, act more like a Prince!"

Mikuo quickly put on an impassive face, which made the others laugh even harder.

"Okay, enough nonsense. Get into my shop, girls. If you want a job here, you'll have to have true skills. Oh, and call me Meiko, by the way." The woman ushered the girls in.

The first thing they saw when they entered the shop was endless rows of fabric. Silk, cotton, velvet, fur… It seemed as if every fabric in the world could be found here.

"So, make something for me." Meiko said demandingly with a smile. Rin almost saluted. _I see why everyone is afraid of her…_

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"Good, you shall start work tomorrow!" Meiko announced, satisfied.

"Yes, madam." Rin and Lily chorused.

Meiko continued, "You can sleep upstairs from today onwards. Now, move all your stuff up, there isn't anyone there ever since I fired the last girl…"

Rin's hand trembled slightly.

The two sisters climbed up the stairs and inspected their bedroom. Of course, it was nothing compared to their previous bedrooms, but it was much warmer and homely. There were no hanging swords that made the room seem dangerous. Instead, there were some girly stuff placed on the bedside table: ribbons, fake jewels…

"So… What's with you and Dell?" Rin mocked her sister. "Please don't tell me that you are smitten with each other."

Lily turned bright red, "Oh, be quiet."

Rin took a deep breath. "Lily, you know that we are here on a mission. We are not supposed to involve our emotions in this."

"I know, I know…" Lily muttered. "I don't need you to lecture me."

"We should let Father know that we have already settled down." _But he won't care anyway. He doesn't even have to worry about me leaking information to the enemy. I was never involved in any political matters anyway. Or so he thought. _Rin smiled to herself triumphantly. She took off her hairclip and placed it on the window side. _Father should have sent out the pigeon already. _SeeWoo had trained some pigeons to recognize certain objects, such as Rin's hairclip. It was used to deliver messages.

"Girls! Dell is here to see you two!" Meiko yelled.

The two girls made their way downstairs, with Rin watching Lily's expressions carefully.

"If only my son still comes to see me as often…" They heard Meiko mutter under her breath.

Dell chuckled, "He's got a lot of things to do. We all know about him and the Princess, haha."

Meiko smiled fondly, "I'll have a daughter-in-law soon… She's such a sweet girl. Ok, I'll leave you to chat by yourselves." She left with a faraway expression on her face.

"She's probably thinking about how many grandchildren she will have… Imagine Gumo being a father!" Dell exclaimed. All Rin could imagine was how many more enemies she was going to have. She grimaced at the thought. She didn't want to hurt the innocent, but sometimes it would be inevitable during missions…at least that was what SeeWoo said.

"Does Mikuo have any mistresses?" Rin asked, suddenly remembering what Meiko had said earlier on.

Dell replied, "Well, he has one. Her name is Luka. She's quite nice, or rather, really nice to everyone. I guess that's why Mikuo likes her. Mikuo turned 17 last year, so he had already done through that "painful" selection once. I wonder if he'll find a wife this year… Why are you so interested?" He grinned mischievously.

Rin blushed slightly, "It's just new to me." _I only want to know how many royals there are. Though I admit that I'm more interested in Mikuo and his teal colored hair… Wait, what?! _Rin mentally slapped herself.

Dell shrugged.

"What do you usually do around here?" _Of course Lily would be more interested in Dell, _Rin thought.

"I do missions, some of which I cannot give you more information, but others are just random stuff that Mikuo asks Gumo and me to do. With the ball coming up and all, there are even more random missions, like preventing anyone from catching him when he sneaks out of the castle to have some freedom." The sides of his mouth twitched.

Rin almost snorted.

"Do you want to attend the ball?" Dell suddenly inquired.

"Um…" Lily glanced at Rin. It would be a perfect opportunity to get into the castle, though it's highly dangerous. Lily bit her lips. Rin knew that her sister took feelings seriously and didn't like to have bad intentions. Rin sighed. _Guess I'll have to make sacrifices. Anyway, there is much chance that I won't get chosen. Is that good or bad?__  
_

"I want to go." She said.


	5. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: You already know what I am going to say.**

**Extremely sorry for updating so late again. There were (and still are) many exams and I was busy doing homework and revising. (Especially French, which I suck at.) This chapter is a bit short, I'll try my best to make later chapters ****longer!**

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Chapter 4

"_I want to go."_

Rin was already regretting that decision. _Why did I say that I wanted to go?! What's wrong with me! First day here, and I'm already putting myself in so much danger. What if they find out who I really am? _Now, thinking through all the consequences of her earlier decision, Rin groaned and cursed herself.

"Rin, there's no point in regretting. Dell already signed you up." Lily reminded her in a quiet voice.

Rin snorted, "You aren't the one putting herself in danger just for some impossible mission her father sent her on! You are too soft with feelings."

Lily fell silent. It was true. She had always been too soft, only tough enough to make SeeWoo accept her as a daughter and let her join in some political meetings. Lily cared too much. The maids always whispered that Lily was like SeeU, no animosity at all, even with enemies. However, that does not mean that she wasn't an experienced warrior, having been trained for almost all her life by SeeWoo.

Feeling a bit guilty at her sister's crestfallen expression, Rin said, "I should go and start making the gown. Come with me?" Lily nodded silently. Rin was still having trouble trying get Dell's amused face off her mind. _Why did he have to look so amused?! If only I don't have to stay low, or else I would have definitely wiped the smile off his dumb face with my sword! _

"_Woo, you must really like him, Rin," Dell had smirked smugly after hearing Rin's announcement._

_Rin had clenched her fist under the table, trying all her might not to punch the air out of him. But she had had to admit, it would have been funny to see a girl preparing to enter a ball on her first day in the Kingdom. (I shall NOT laugh at myself! Rin had yelled in her mind.)_

_Dell had cleared his throat and put on a business like face, "You shall receive instruction on the details of the ball tomorrow. I'll help you sign up. The gown you wear has to be handmade. Oh, and don't forget to make Mikuo's life a living hell! He hates it whenever there are too many girls surrounding him." He had suddenly returned to his normal self and winked at her. (Lily had turned away in jealousy)_

Suddenly, a flurry of movement from the window caught both Rin and Lily's attention. A messenger pigeon landed on the window side gracefully, peeking at the clips. Rin brought it in, soothing its feathers. She quickly sat down to write a short message about their arrival at Azaria.

"Here you go. Have a safe journey." She whispered softly as she tied the scroll to the pigeon's leg. The pigeon clicked its beak reassuringly and flew off. Rin quietly watched the bird disappear over the buildings. She had frown quite fond of her little "pet", which she had taken care of and trained for almost a year.

Rin walked over to collect her clips, the ones she treasured beyond almost everything. It had been a gift. A gift from a childhood friend. Rin closed her eyes as she recalled those sweet memories of playing and giggling in forest.

"Rin?" Lily asked carefully.

Rin hastily snapped back into reality, "Sorry." She gathered her money and stood up. "Let's go and buy some fabrics first."

Lily nodded in agreement.

"So, you are entering the ball, aren't you?" Meiko teased Rin as she came downstairs. Rin blushed ever so slightly.

Meiko continued proudly, "You have an advantage, because you work for me! I know more about Mikuo then anyone except for his family, my son and Dell. But I guess I'll be considered family soon anyway… Ok, back to the main topic."

_I actually work for my crazy father—wait, oops—I wasn't supposed to think like that… Ah who cares, he can't read my mind._ Rin cackled evilly in her head.

*Sudden change of scene: SeeWoo sneezed as he sat on the throne of the Cykalia castle. _Is Rin thinking badly of me? I shall punish her when she gets back. Or if she gets back at all… _Evil cackle…(Like father like daughter.)

*Back to the scene: "I think you should know that Mikuo does not like anything too fancy, so don't wear excessive makeup or jewelry." Meiko said. "I can provide you with some materials, as long as you earn them back later. Don't worry, I'll charge you at half price." Rin smiled gratefully at the woman. _If only I had a mother…_

Meiko suddenly beamed, "If you make it to the final round, you won't have to pay me back." Rin groaned internally. _Make it to the final round? Getting invited to the castle? I doubt Mikuo will even notice my presence, unless he recognizes me. But it would be a great success if I can make it to the castle. I would be able to get a lot of information._

Rin sat down, deep in thoughts. _Wait, if there is a ball, then the guards will be guarding the castle, right? So…will the village be less protected? _ Rin's heartbeat quickened. _If we attack now, we could take down the village. I will have to find out more about the formation of the soldiers. _But her heart tightened as she thought about all the innocent lives that would be lost. _No, I cannot be softhearted._

"What materials can you give me?" Rin asked tonelessly, her heart turning into ice once more.

Though surprised by the girl's sudden coldness, Meiko just brushed it away as nervousness. "I can give you some fabrics that are not needed right now, and I think some old dresses may also be of use to you…" Her voice trailed away as she left for the storage room.

"Um…Rin?" Lily startled Rin. She had almost forgotten that her sister was there. "Are you alright? You seem like you are thinking about something."

"Oh, it's nothing of importance." For some reason, Rin did not feel like sharing her plans with her sister. Was it jealousy? Or was it the temptation of finally having a chance to prove herself worthy of the title of a warrior princess?

* * *

The sky turned red as the late afternoon sun begun to disappear over the horizon. Rin stood on the small balcony of the seamstress shop, gazing at the tranquil village. _Would I have had a better life if I had been born here? _She stared enviously at the little girl clinging onto to her mother, half-walking and half-skipping on the now-lonely street. Rin turned her gaze towards the sky. _Mother, are you there? Are you still watching over me?_

A light breeze gently cradled her cheeks. Taking that as a sign from her mother, Rin smiled lightly and walked back into the welcoming warmth of the shop.


	6. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: You should already know by now.**

**Okay, people, this is the longest chapter I've ever written. (I know, it still seems very short.) I'm doing my best to prevent any ****grammar/ spelling mistakes. Forgive me if there are any more of them.**

Chapter 5

Rin carefully smoothed the old dress. It might not have been of its former glory, but it was still beautiful. Her fingers glided over the silky blue fabric. The skirt of the gown was of royal blue, still giving off a sense of majesty even though some parts were torn. The bodice was of glittery black, like the mysterious night sky. The gown was sleeveless.

"Ah, I see you have found my husband's first gift to me. It had always been my favorite." Meiko made her way over to the storage room. She smiled fondly at the dress that brought back sweet memories from her younger days. She gently placed her finger on the dress, as though reliving her youth.

"Can I use this for the ball?" Rin was fascinated by the gown. She felt an odd connection to it.

"Of course, my dear girl. I'd love to see my dress on a young, beautiful girl!" Meiko patted Rin's shoulder and looked at her lovingly. Once again, Rin felt the ach in her heart that yearned for a mother.

"Thank you." Rin replied as she folded up the gown.

Meiko laughed, "Aren't you such a polite girl? I wish I had a little girl like you…" A unfamiliar feeling filled Rin. _Is this what they call "touched"? _Rin thought about all the lies she had given the kind Azarians: her past, her identity… Guilt started building up in her chest. _No, I am a Cykalian princess. This is my job. I was trained to tell lies._

"Off you go! You have a lot to prepare for the ball, and you still have to work for me, so get to work now!" Meiko returned to her bossy mode. "Rin Kagamine, you are a beautiful girl. I won't be surprised to hear that you have caught the eyes of Mikuo."

Rin liked the sound of her name being spoken by Meiko. Kagamine. It was the only thing she had left of her mother.

It had been her mother's maiden name, before she married SeeWoo. After SeeU had died, SeeWoo burned all her things, including all portraits of her. From the gossipy maids, Rin gathered the fact that her mother was beautiful and innocent. It was said that SeeU came from a poor family. During her first visit to the central city, she had wandered into a garden. Coincidentally, SeeWoo had also been there, without any bodyguards. The pretty girl delicately picking flowers enraptured him.

When Rin had been a little child of no more than 7, she first heard the story from the whispering maids. She had been curious why they had to whisper, and learnt that the late Queen's name had been, and still was, taboo. It had been forbidden by SeeWoo. Rin had thought that the story was romantic, but now, after having seen SeeWoo's numerous ways of making people suffer, it was hard to believe that he had once been romantic.

"Lily?" Rin was surprised to see her sister sitting by the looming machine, concentrating on a piece of fabric that was beginning to look like a simple skirt.

"Good morning, Rin." Lily whispered softly, with her eyes still on her work. Rin quietly watched her weave.

"Do you think I will be queen one day?" Rin was startled by the sudden question.

"What do you mean?" Rin was trying to buy time, pondering how to answer. She quickly looked around to make sure that no one could eavesdrop on them.

Lily turned to look at her with a hard gaze, "You know fairly well what I mean."

"Gakupo?" Rin inquired. Yes, she knew very well what Lily meant. Lily remained silent, a frown upon her face.

"He doesn't have any royal blood. He cannot be made a successor."

"But exceptions can be made. It had been done before." Lily argued.

Rin sighed, "Yes, I know you have probably memorized the whole history of Cykalia…"

Lily promptly ignored her. She flicked her long hair over her shoulder and muttered, "I don't see why Father treats Gakupo like his own son… He's so annoying and arrogant!"

Rin smirked, "At least we agree on _something_. Father adores him, doesn't he? Father will probably hand the crown to him if he asked for it."

"Oh, please, Rin… Stop making me feel so miserable!" Lily exclaimed. Rin had to admit, she _was _enjoying making her sister feel bad. As cruel as that had sounded, Rin had quite a good reason for that. She had always watched in envy whenever Lily got a pat on the head by their Father, and when Lily had expensive dress and sword made especially for her, Rin only had pitifully old hand-me-downs. Lily did not know how lucky she had always been.

"Don't worry, you _will _get the throne. The people of this country will not be so happy if they hear that they are going to be led by a non-royal boy. It was be bad move." Rin assured Lily in a logical way.

Lily was clearly biting her bottom lip, "I am not so sure. It would be easy to kill us and make Gakupo the next monarch…"

Rin's heart turned to ice with a sudden realization. _Was this the real reason Father sent us on this mission? To get us killed? So that he could put Gakupo on the throne?_

"But what if we return there alive?" She thought out loud.

Lily did not respond for a moment, but when she spoke, her voice was quivering. " Before we left, Gakupo cornered me," she took a deep breath. "He said that when—if—I return, he would already be named successor to the throne. If I would still be alive, he would take me as his w…wife."

This confession left the room in a pregnant silence.

"What?!" Rin burst out. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fist. "I will never let him marry you!" _How dare he? That infuriating and arrogant git! Over my dead body will he ever get to take Lily as his wife! _But even as she thought that, she was fully aware that it was every bit possible to kill her.

Lily shook her head sadly, "No, that's not most important thing. What truly frightened me was that he seemed confident that he would get the throne."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it, unless you want to go and assassin him." Rin stated pragmatically. There was no response.

"Don't tell me you are really thinking of killing him!" Rin's eyes widened.

"Don't worry. I wouldn't dare to do that." Lily said, returning to her work.

"Rin! My dear, can you please help me deliver this suit to Mr. Utatane? He lives just down the street, in the white mansion. I know you don't have much free time, but Lily is working on an urgent piece." Meiko's voice rang throughout the shop.

"I'm coming!" Rin shouted and exited the room, with one last hesitant glance at her sister. _Perhaps Lily's mind isn't as easy to read as I had thought…_

Rin picked up the package at the counter and made her way on to the busy street. She noticed that instead of fewer soldiers, there were _more _soldiers patrolling on the street.

Some women were gossiping, "It's time for the ball again!"

"Yeah! I heard that the King is having his specially trained knights to guard the castle so that the other soldiers can guard the city."

"I guess we will be safer this way. I'm so excited! My daughter is attending the ball! If only the Prince would choose her…"

Rin groaned internally. _Knights? Looks like there's no chance of attacking then._

Still cursing in her mind, Rin arrived at the mansion. She saw a white-haired young man standing at the gates, talking to the guard. She carefully approached them.

"Excuse me? I am here to deliver a suit for Mr. Utatane."

The young man turned around, "That will be me. Ah, the suit. Thank Meiko for me, will you? I have never seen you before, are you new?"

"Yes, I am new here." Rin smiled politely.

He smiled back, "I'll see you around then, if fate permits. Good day, miss." He handed the package to the guard and waved goodbye. Rin stared after him, watching as his white coat disappeared into the crowd and wondering if everyone in Azaria was so friendly.

Slowly, she strolled on the street, not in the mood to go back and start on the dress. She was confident that she could finish the dress quickly. As she turned around the corner, someone suddenly collided with her and both fell on to the ground. Rin was about to curse that person when her gaze met a pair of mesmerizing emerald eyes.

"Prince Mik— " A hand covered her mouth and prevented her from saying anything else.

Mikuo whispered urgently, "Help me!" He hastily glanced over his shoulder at the incoming group of guards. He pulled Rin up and dragged her into a darker lane. Anyone from outside would only be able to their outlines.

"Pretend to kiss me." Rin could feel his cool breath on her face. She blushed a bright shade of red.

"What?" She could not believe what Mikuo had just asked her to do.

"Please, just do it!" He pressed her back to the wall. Rin suddenly could not find any strength to push him away.

"Please…" He pleaded. Rin obliged. She slid her arms over his shoulders and moved her lips closer to his. Mikuo tilted his head to one side, blocking her lips from others, as if they were really kissing. Rin felt her heartbeat quicken, her breath ragged. She barely heard the scurrying footsteps of the guards passing by the lane. She did not even notice the guards glancing in their direction.

"I think they've gone." Mikuo finally said, and moved away from her.

"Sorry about that. I hope you don't mind." He apologized. They went back into the light. Rin noticed, with a slight satisfaction, that there was also a tinge of red his face.

"It's alright." She mumbled, still feeling a bit dazed. "Um… Why were you running away from them?"

Mikuo looked sheepish. "Err…your name is Rin, right? You may have already heard this from Dell or Gumo. I like to run away from the castle sometimes. But it seemed that the guards had become smarter this time…"

Rin resisted the urge to laugh. "Why would you run away?" She asked, curious.

Mikuo stuck out his tongue, "I don't really like court life. Too much rules and such, if you understand what I'm talking about." Rin almost nodded, but then she remembered that she was supposed to be from a rural village, not a gleaming but gloomy castle.

"It's becoming even more unbearable, with the ball coming up and all. Wait, you are not attending the ball, are you?" Mikuo suddenly seemed wary. Rin's silence was all the answer he needed.

"I really don't get women!" He exploded with a scowl on his face. "Why do they always like to find ways to make themselves more important? And all the constant flirting! I thought you, someone from another kingdom, would be different!"

"Look, I'm just a poor, parentless village girl who travelled all the way here seeking for a better life! I heard that there would be other men attending the ball too! The world does not evolve around you!" Though her background was fake, Rin was still angry at Mikuo's attitude. _It's not as if he is the most important person in the world or something! And why the hell do his moods change so fast? _Then, fear flooded her. Common people were not supposed to talk back to royals. _What if he arrests me?_

Mikuo had a shocked expression on his face. "No one has ever talked to me like that except for Father…"He murmured under his breath.

Just as Rin thought she would be dead for sure, his gave a friendly smirk, "Maybe you are different after all."

He grinned, "I better get going. Can't be staying in one place too long, or the guards will find me. I'll see you at the ball then, bye!" He winked at her and left, leaving Rin standing there, stunned. _How on earth did his mood change so fast? One moment he was all dangerous with a dark aura, and then he became so sunny again… _Rin shook her head. _I guess I should just be relieved that he didn't do anything to me._

She sighed and made her way back to the seamstress shop, thinking about how she was going to make her dress and wondering about a certain guy with emerald eyes.


End file.
